MaPlesVille railroaD DePot
F
irst built in the 1850s, Maplesville’s train depot marked the end of the age of the stagecoach in the town, as businesses moved to create the current downtown around the railroad. But as the automobile became the preferred means of transportation, the depot
fell into disuse. the Maplesville historical Society has worked to transform the depot into a museum. the society was founded in 2007 in an effort to prepare the town for its bicentennial celebration as part of former Gov. Bob Riley’s Great Alabama homecoming initia-
tive. one of the group’s first projects was to build a pictorial museum in the town’s historic depot, but the historical Society’s work isn’t finished. Maplesville heritage Day on April 13 included guided tours of historic structures, a showing of a DVD about town history and opening
the museum to residents and visitors alike—along with vendors and a food court. Atchison said plans for the future include improving the grounds around the depot and making a town garden in the small triangle of land just across highway 22 from the depot and transforming the entire depot into a museum. FACES And PLACES
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